Motor-vehicle.



M. WALTER. MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13. 1916. LQQLMQO Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

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WITNESSES: l VENTOR I BY I M. WALTER.

MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-13.19%.

Patented Apr. 22,1919.

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M. WALTER.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1916.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

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'rmmmummmn Q INVE OR ATTORNEYS i iwww M. WALTER.

MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED SFPT. :3, 19m

v Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

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INVENTOR M. WALTER.

" MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILEDSEPT-JB. 191a.

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MAURICE WALTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MOTOR-VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Application filed September 13, 1916. Serial No. 119,842.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, MAURICE WVALTER, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the. borough of Manhattan of the city of New York, in the State'of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates generally to motor vehicles and is concerned particularly with commercial vehicles of the type in which both the driving and the steering efforts are applied to each one of the four wheels. The main object of the invention, broadly, is to improve the construction of vehicles of this type in such respects as to render them more efficient and reliable in operation, more adaptable for heavy service under unfavorable road conditions, easy of control both as regards the transmission and steering de. vices, and readily accessible in all of its units for purposes of inspection or repair, and to give them greater range in speed control and tractive efiort. More particularly the objects of the invention may be divided into four main divisions, each one of which, while admitting of separate discussion, bears a definite relation to each of the other objects in so far as concerns the broad advantages to be derived from the improved truck considered as a whole. The first'of these objects is to improve thev driving mechanism for four-wheel vehicles in such manner that the power from the motor is transmitted directly and with minimum frictional losses to the driving gears for the front and rear wheels, respectively. Incidental to the carrying out of this object, the said driving elements are so constructed and arranged with relation to one another that space is economized, accessibility is realized, and a desirable disposition of the Cardan shafts, vehicle axles and motor is effected, particularly at the front of the vehicle where the "motor ispositioned.

The second main object of the invention,

which is, closely related to the first object,

has to do with the transmission. In the improved transmission, power from the motor shaft is communicated directly to a counter shaft from which power is distributed directly to the Card-an shafts or driving differentials therefor. This improved trans mission, in addition, includes devices whereby the operator may secure selectively three speeds forward and may, in addition, by proper control, secure a fourth speed and a reverse through suitable compounding gears slidably supported on auxiliary counter shafts carried in the gear case. The three speeds resulting from selective control in the usual manner give the improved truck a range of speed of at least the ordinary extent, while the low speed secured by the additional compounding gears permits the' chassis of a truck.

Fig. 3 is a View in front elevation of the truck shown in Fig. 2 and bringing out particularly the disposition of the Cardan shafts.

' Fig. 4 isa view in vertical section taken through the gear box in which are inclosed the improved transmission devices.

Fig. 5 is a view in plan showing the transmission elements of Fig. 4 and illustrating particularly the relative disposition of the compounding gears.

Fig. 6 is a view in central sectlon through one of the wheels of the improved truck and showing so much of the truck frame and the driving elements for the wheel as is necessary for an understanding of this feature of the invention.

The improved truck has each one of its four wheels operatively geared with a motor a of any suitable form, mounted, as usual,

at the front end of the chassis. Immediately to the rear of the motor a is mounted a suitable clutch, illustrated herein as comprising two cooperating friction members a. a and from this clutch motive power is commumcated to the motor shaft 6. T l11S shaft. as

will be evident from Fig. l, is alined with the shaft of the motor and extends rearwardly in parallelism with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle chassis. .In describing the improved driving mechanism for the truck itavill be sufficient to refer to the conventional illustration of the parts as'laid out in Fig.1, although as this description proceeds and the improved transmission is taken up for consideration, the details of the selective gearing. will be described at length.

In F ig. 1, it appears that there is provided only a single counter shaft from which the power derived from the motor shaft Z) is delivered direct to the actuating differentials (Z 6 for the Card-an shafts (i 6, respec-' tively, of the front and rear wheels. This counter shaft 0 extends longitudinally of the vehicle chassis and is preferably disposed directlybeneath the motor shaft 6 so as to permit the gears 6 5 etc., on the motor shaft 1) and the cooperating gears 0 0*, on

the counter shaft to be manipulated readily for chan 'ng speeds in a manner now well known. he distinctive point in the driving shafts and gearing illustrated in Fig. 1 resides in the fact that the power taken from the motor shaft 5 is delivered directly to a main drive shaft. 0 instead of being transmitted, in the usual manner, through one or more independent lay shafts and the attendant gearing. The main driving shaft 0 carries at each end suitable driving gears illustrated as bevel pinions a mesh, res ectively, with the master gears (1 e on the differentials .cZ-", respectively.

By reason .of' the employme'nt ofthe motor shaft 6 andlthefdrivingshaft a and their peculiar disposition with relation to one another, it-becomes-"possibl,e, in the improved truck, .to mount the j front differential 415 in the inost advantageu'g. relationship to the driv ng mechanisin,.- thc inotor-. and the supporting axlesjig' Asshown in Figgl, the

diiferentialjtifi"supported just behind the motor clutelr and below the motor shaft 6', so that space "is'fleooi omized and the overhang of the motor is minimized. Further, in this construction, it is proposed to support the differential .casings' directly on the vehicle frame rather than on the axles, so that these casings partake of the movements of the frame and have no relative movement with relation theretopf With this condition it becomes possible to interpose suitable con 'plings, illustrated generally at d2 d, e, between the said differentials and the driving pinions d; e, and thereby afford that degree of flexibility to both the wheels and axles-whichis most necessary for the absorption of all strains. This flexibility as between the front and rear units is in no'wise impaired by the interposition of the driving shaft 0 since this shaft itself includes flexible couplings, indicated generally at 0 6, arranged to vhic h are adapted to allow for frame distortion. i

The driving mechanisn i'ilescribed differs largely from those heretofore known in the elimination of one difi erential gear, that between the front and rear axles, and in the omission of-the usual independent counter shaft or counter shafts between the motor shaft 6 and the driving shaft 0. In the improved construction. the counter shaft serves directly as the power distributing shaft between the front and rear differentials} and so the efficiency 'of the'transmission is:

greatly increased and the frictional losses correspondinglyv decreased. This peculiar construction is also specially adapted to the inclusion of universal joints without lossof' power and resulting flexibility in the entire" chassis and associated gearing. Again, the

peculiar relation between the motor shaft bf and the counter-shaft 0' permits these shafts to be extended directly into the gear box and facilitatethe association of this ear box-with the mot-or and the front d-i ertial d in such manner as to create at this portion ofthis truck a single unit power plant.- The relation of the difi'erentialto these essential elementsin 'the unit power plant will appear at greaterlength hereinafter in connection with the improved transmission. It is to be noted, however, that one ,of the important results secured by. reason of the space afforded for the mounting of the Cardan shafts 6Z5 directly below the mo tor shaft 22 and just behind the motor a is the lowering of the motor on its frame and plained hereinbefore, is peculiarly adapted for commercial vehicles of the type with which this invention is concerned. As shown in Fig. 4, the motor shaft 5' in the gear casing C has splined thereon a series of gears 6 5 etc, of the usual type and these gears are arranged to be brought into operative engagement with corresponding gears 0 0 0, etc, carried by the counter shaft 0'. This counter shaft, as before'stated, is preferably journaled directly below the motor shaft 7). and rweives its power'directly therefrom through the gears just named. At the front end of the counter shaft cjis carried a bevel pinion d for engagement with the master bevel gear (l on the differential hous ing (Z v into which extendthe driven shaft sections d*.' From the gear casing the shaft extended rearwardly for direct engagement with the differential e for the wheels. .Selective forward speeds'of the truck are provided for through theusual.

manner which will be understood. In addition to the three forward speeds provided for 'by thfe direct engagement of gears on the i motor shaft 6 and the driven counter shaft a, provision is made in the new transmission for a fourth low-speed of the car and also for thereversal thereof.- Such provision is found in suitable compounding gears c, cif

counter shafts 0 c fixed in the gear casing 1 C. Theselast named gears are manipulated by means er an independent yoke g lin a Inanner which is now generally familiar. By'suita'bly'disposing the gears on the com pounding shafts c or c? or both with relation to the gears 011 h motor shaft 6 or th' f:

gears on the counter shaft 0' or both, vthecar sayat a ratio of 8 to -1, and a marked increase in tractive effort, amounting to 'per- 'haps 100%, may be secured. Ordinamly,.o f, course, it may he sufficient to use the three 4 tages derived therefrom. The provision ofa unit power plant in which the diiferentiah is incorporated in the transmission casing and is disposed forwardly of the change "speed gears, is new in trucks of thischaracter, as is the mounting of the driven shafts of the differential directly below the motor shaft and between the transmission gears 5 and the motor. The ease of control secured by providing three selective speeds forward by a unidirectional movenient of the gear provision of an independent gear shift for the reserve low-speed and the reverse serves to require special manipulation by the driver in a manner which is desirable and guards against careless shifting. The additional M the axis of the pivot. y" at about the inner 30, I), carried on one or the other of two; j

steering pivot j in the plane of thetreadof may becaused .to travelat a'very low speed,

"steering knuckle 9' of such form as to carry driving pinion c through a ball universal lever g is of great advantage, while the T speed and power range secured by the pro- VlSlOIl of the low-speed compounding gears isachieved without any of the disadvantages usually following efforts to increase this range, since these compounding gears are in fact idle during normal operation of the improved truck and are not in mesh with any of the gears of the motor shaft 6 or the counter shaft 0. I

The-improved steering devices with a detailed illustration of the means by which great flexibility of the frame is secured are -to be found in' Fig. 6. From this figure it appears that the wheel is carried on. a

spindle h by suitable anti-friction rollers It and that "the steering. pivot j in the end of the axle j 'is fixed with an axis which .falls at about the inner edge of the tire of the wheel.

This pivot 7" is also disposed somewhat below the spindleh The object of this construction is to impart to the wheel in its turning movements a rolling action as distinguished from a twisting one and.,;the

result sought can only be secured by alining v ,90 edge of the tire. The same result has been sought heretofore by various means and it has formerly been proposedfto' place'the t re and alsowell outside voftheplan'e of Q5 6 Wheel, but-both of these constructions have been faulty in either permitting a twisting action on the tread of the tire or in producing an exaggerated rolling action which made itdifiicult to control the. direction- In the improved construction there has been shown a convenient way of forming the steeringpivotj and mounting it in the wheelat the desired point. This construction consists in. making the we the pivot j and also to support the free end of-the Cardan shaft 0 The drive herein contemplated is one with an internal gear 6 with which the pinion e on the end of the Cardan shaft e meshes. Related to thc improved steering devices are the means for permitting free movement of the wheel and axle without interfering with the. transmission of the driving efiort to the wheel either 115 during straight movement of the vehicle or when the steerin'g'devices are beingop emb d, The detailso-f the Cardan shaftsc and the associated elements are brought out in Fig. 6: In this figure it appears that each lit) proper engagement and also to eaclude dirt 136" and dust therefrom. In the construction just described it is evident that the casing e of the differential being supported from the housing 6 'on the chassis f .of the vehicle, partakes of the movements of the vehicle and so has relative movement constantly with relation to the wheels and axles.

. Such movement has no influence on the transmission of the driving effort, however,

10 by reason of the inclusion of the, universal.

A further-feature of the improved steering construction and flexible driving mechanism has to do with the relative disposition of the spring, f and the axle j By disposing the pivot y" of the'st'eering knuckle ofl' center with relation to the spindle It, that is, well below it, and extending the Cardan shaft ie to the wheel along a line near its '.'periphery,' the axle is permitted to be' dropped well below the side-frame members of the chassis fand the spring 1 and the axle .g' has its resiliency and effectiveness eorrespondin ly increased while affording ready accessibility-tOallof the parts under thechassisfj Furthermore the placing of the '35 .axldbelowth'ewheel-spindle, so that the point of application of the spring to the axle shall be below the axisof the spindle, makes {it possible to utilize the driving reaction to neutralize-in partthe torque reaction. This 40 arrangement also has a constructional advantage in that it permits the member which carries the steering knuckle, the wheel spindie and the drivin pinion to be a single casting,"while the splndle itself may be a separate forging fixed therein.

I claim as my invention:

' 1; In a motor vehicle, in combination with the axles, the vehicle frame spring supported thereon, the four wheels and the motor shaft,

driving shafts for the pairs of wheels, a differentia'l gear for each pair of driving shafts, the front differential gear being mounted directly behind the motor, a power distributing shaft having pinions on its ends engaged operatively with said differential gears, a transmission casing in which the front differential isdisposed and a housing for the rear differential mounted on the vehicle frame.

2. In a motor vehicle, in combination with the axles, the vehicle frame spring supported thereon, the four wheels and the motor shaft, driving shafts for the pairs of wheels, a

j differential gear for each pair of driving shafts, the front difierential gear being mounted directly behind the motor, a power the axles, the vehicle frame spring supported thereon, the four' wheels and the motor shaft, driving shafts for the pairs of wheels,

a differential gear for each pairof driving shafts, the front differential gear being mounted directly behind the motor, a power distributing shaft having pinions on its ends engaged operatively with said differential gears, a transmi sion having three speeds with a single re uctionbetween the motor shaft and the power distributing shaft, and i a low and a reverse speed with a doublereduction between the motor and the power distributing shaft, a transmission casing in which the transmission and the differential 1 is disposed and a housin for the rear differential mounted on the ve icle frame.

4. In a motor vehicle, in combination with the four wheels thereof and the motor shaft, driving shafts for the pairs of Wheels, 'a front differential. gear for the front driving shafts disposed directly behind the motor and below the motor shaft, a power distributing shaft mounted below the motor shaft and engaged operatively with the said differ ential gears, and change speed gearing by which the power of the motor shaft is transmitted directly and by a single reduction to the said distributing shaft.

5. In a motor vehicle in combination with the four wheels thereof and the motor shaft, driving shafts for the pairs of wheels, a front differential gear for the front driving shaft disposed directly behind the motor and below the motor shaft, apower distributing shaft mounted belowthe motor shaftand engaged operatively with the said differential gears, and change speed gearing by which the power of the motor shaft is transmitted directly and by asingle reduction to the said distributing shaft for forward drive, and a reverse and low speed having compounding gears to effect 'a double reduction between the motor shaft and the driving shaft.

6. In a motor vehicle, in combination with the four wheels thereof and theinotor shaft, driving shafts for the pairs of wheels, afront differential gear for the front driving shaft disposed directly behind the motor and below the motor shaft, a power distributing shaft mounted below'the motor shaft and engaged operatively withthe said differential gears, and change speed gearing 13o its by which the Power bf the mo l Shear s transmitted directly and by a single redue tion to the said distr'ibiiting shaft,- for for? Ward drive, and a reverse and a low speed 5 having compounding gears to efi'ect a double reduction between the motor shaft and the driving shaft and independent means for :shifting the speed pinions of the single re- "*duction speed gearing and for shifting the compounding gearing. 10

This specification signed this 8th day of September D. 1916.

MAURICE WALTER. 

